Tinnitus is a condition characterized by the presence of ear noises. The person who has tinnitus hears ringing, hissing, roaring, or cracking noise inside either or both ears without external source. According to an estimate more than fifty million people in UK have had tinnitus at some point in their lives. The leading cause is evidently identified as noise exposure. Cochlear damage from heavy noise is said to be irreparable. That is why patients are asked to wear ear protection whenever they come to places where there is too much noise. But can tinnitus worsen even when using ear plugs?

Ear plugs are worn as protection from loud noises. In fact, people who work around noise-generating machinery are required to wear them to protect them from exposure to damaging noise levels. Musicians who perform loud music genres, say rock music, also benefit from wearing ear plugs. Hazardous noise is said to be a leading cause of hearing impairment. Intensities above 80 decibels wreak havoc within the delicate structures in the inner and cause irreversible destruction. As exposure to excessive noise continues, cochlear damage becomes more apparent. One noticeable symptom of this hearing damage is tinnitus, which occurs as the damaged cells release abnormal impulses. The random signals reach the brain to be interpreted as tinnitus noise. 

However, while ear plugs may serve to muffle loud noise and prevent ear damage, they may be a cause of hearing problems too. Tinnitus sufferers are recommended to wear ear protection to prevent further damage in their ears. But some are asking. Can tinnitus worsen even when using ear plugs? The answer is yes. Ear plugs are just damage-preventive devices. They do not cure your tinnitus, which may worsen due to other factors. In other instances, the misuse of ear plugs or the wrong fitting ones would do some harm instead of help. 

A person who wears ear plugs but still continues being in a loud disco house every night may still run a high risk of progressive hearing impairment. Though ear protection cuts down about 15 dB of noise, it does not provide a barrier against bone conduction of sound. You see sound can still travel through your skull and facial bones to your ears. This is why you could still hear muffled noise even with ear canals completely plugged. 

Prolonged use of ear plugs may lead to earwax impaction because of blockage and disruption of the outward flow of cerumen. Inserting the plug may push the earwax deeper, nearer to the eardrum. Bacteria may thrive in foam type plugs and may cause external ear infection. Apart from these, temporomandibular joint irritation may also result from frequent wearing of ear plugs. 

Can tinnitus worsen even when using ear plugs? Yes, it can. And should this occur together with ear ache and other symptoms not present before, go to your GP or ear specialist.